One of Them: Chapter One
by Sana
Summary: Ash, years after he's seperated from his best friend, wants revenge...


ONE OF THEM CHAPTER ONE 

A lone figure stood in the shadows, staring bitterly at the building before him. He glowered, arms folded and leaning against a tree, shoulders hunched. His wild black hair flopped over his narrowed, cold brown eyes. This is it, he thought. I've finally found it. He unfolded his arms and straightened. 

My friend, he thought, fury sparking in his eyes. You took my friend from me. You stole him; you stole my innocence and my compassion. You stole my carefree ways, and you stole a part of myself." 

The young man clenched his teeth and fists with that old familiar determination he hadn't felt in years, and strode purposefully towards the double doors. 

~ 

"I apologize, Madam Jessica, Master James." 

Cassidy lowered her head in shame. Another failed mission. 

The two dignified-looking superiors glared at the blonde girl from behind the mahogany desk. James stroked a Meowth, silent, but Jessie spoke. 

"You have failed us for the last time. You always were a failure, and always will be a failure. You are hereby fired from Team Rocket. Do not return. If you reveal any information you have learned as a Team Rocket agent, you will be promptly hunted down and killed." She gestured towards a doorway with her head. "Change. You will turn in your uniform, and leave." 

Cassidy wasn't surprised. Jessie had always held a grudge against her, and when she and her lavender-haired partner took over the Team after Giovanni died, she knew this was the inevitable. 

"Yes, Madam Jessica," she murmured. All she had known her entire life was being taken from her. Where would she go? What would she do? She didn't know, but she did know that she would get revenge. 

Cassidy quickly changed, turned in her uniform, and left. 

"Ugh. Of course she would pick the least stylish uniform," she heard Jessie say behind her and she padded down the hallway, head hung low. "We ought to burn it." 

~ 

Ash entered the Team Rocket Headquarters, not knowing what to expect. Surprisingly enough, he found a long, carpeted hallway, warmly lit with orange lights along the wall. He cautiously took a step forward, and then another. There seemed to be no one around. Silently, he stole through the maze of hallways, tense and suspicious. 

"Got you!" 

A hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder tightly. With a small cry of surprise, Ash wrenched himself out of the iron grip and took off running. 

"Get back here, intruder!" shouted a female voice. That voice... 

The hair stood up on the back of Ash's neck, and he slowed to a stop. He slowly turned to look at the speaker, fire in his eyes and shaking with the purest emotion he had ever felt-fury. 

The woman stared in surprise as she saw his face. "The- the twerp! All grown up! What are you doing here? How did you find our headquarters?" 

Ash took a menacing step towards her, his face a mask of anger and sorrow. "You took my Pikachu. You took my best friend. Give it back. NOW." 

Jessie, though first caught off guard, now put her hands on her hips and tossed her cascading red hair back haughtily. With a sharp laugh, she responded, "Are you kidding, twerp? Do you really think you can just march into our headquarters and demand that the boss of Team Rocket return the most powerful Pokémon they ever managed to steal?" 

It was Ash's turn to gape. "You? The boss?" 

"Of course!" she replied with a disdainful air. 

"Ahem." 

The two turned to see James, in his formal suit, with an eyebrow raised in Jessie's direction. He hadn't changed a bit, looks-wise, Ash noticed. 

"Well, co-boss," the malicious woman amended quickly. "So, twerp, now that you've walked right into here, we'll just have to take your Pokémon." She smirked. 

"I don't have Pokémon anymore," Ash replied dully. "After my Pikachu was taken, all my purpose in life vanished. All I cared about was getting revenge on Team Rocket, and getting it back." 

James was slightly taken aback, though Jessie retained her composure. "You?" He sputtered. "You gave up your dream because of us?" He couldn't help but feel slightly guilty-he was only human, after all. 

But if Jessie felt any remorse, she didn't show it. 

"Yes, I did," replied the young man through clenched teeth. He was suddenly overcome with rage. "AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Before realizing what he was doing, he leapt and James' throat, clawing, spitting, biting, punching, kicking. All that mattered now was his fury. All he wanted to do was hurt this man, the man that tore his life apart. 

Suddenly, dozens of strong hands were hefting Ash off of James. He struggled, but couldn't resist. He glared, eyes narrowed but unable to do anything more, as James rose to his feet, wiping off a trickle of blood coming from his mouth. 

"HOW DARE YOU ATTACK ONE OF THE ELITE MEMBERS OF TEAM ROCKET?" Jessie screamed. "How DARE you?" She turned to James, concern in her eyes. "Are you all right, James?" 

He stared at the floor quietly. "I don't blame him." 

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Jessie. But James didn't respond. 

Jessie turned back to Ash, being held back by the half dozen Team Rocket members. "Now it's personal, twerp." She glanced at one of the black-garbed men. "Kill him." 

Ash's mouth dropped open. Kill...? But... he needed to rescue his Pikachu! He hadn't come this far to be killed... but he couldn't hold his own against all these men. "Wait!" he cried desperately. "I... I want to join Team Rocket!" 

Jessie raised an eyebrow. "Sure, and then betray us at the first chance you get." 

"Gee, they seem to have gotten smarter..." Ash muttered to himself. "Not that that's saying much. Look, Jessie, that's why I came here. I gave up my dream to become a master, and all that life holds for me is to hurt the world, as I've been so cruelly hurt. If I am forced to feel this pain, I want others to, too. And if you reunite me with my Pikachu, you'll be unstoppable." 

The two leaders exchanged glances. "It hasn't obeyed anyone since we stole it... It would probably obey the twerp..." Jessie nodded. 

"Right, then. But you will be under constant supervision. We will not give you the chance to betray us. You will be one of us." 

And so it was to be. 


End file.
